Easter Baskets Are No Longer Just for Kids -- And Adults Are Ready to Admit It

The "Adultoween" Trend Has Hopped Its Way to Easter: New Ferrero Survey Finds 2 in 3 North Americans Believe Adults Deserve an Easter Basket Just as Much as Children, While 1 in 3 Confess to Secretly Raiding Their Kids' Candy Stash

PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- What started as "Adultoween" has become something much bigger. A new Ferrero Easter Candy Survey reveals that the adult holiday reclamation trend Ferrero first identified at Halloween in 2024 — and confirmed was "evolving into a full cultural movement" by 2025 — has now officially hopped its way to Easter. Two-thirds of North American adults (66%) say they deserve an Easter basket just as much as children do, nearly mirroring the 62%* who said Halloween was as much for adults as for kids. And if there's one stat that proves the candy takeover is complete? More than 1 in 3 adults (36%) quietly admit to eating their children's Easter candy without telling them.

The survey of 1,000 North Americans shows that adult holiday indulgence is no longer a Halloween-specific phenomenon. It's a year-round cultural shift which now includes pastel baskets, chocolate bunnies, and competitive egg hunts. In fact, seven in ten adults (70%) say Easter is the best time of year for both adults and kids to indulge in candy together, and adults are showing up with the same enthusiasm and the same candy-hoarding instincts they bring to October 31st. Other key findings include:

Adults Stage an Easter Candy Takeover

• Nearly half (48%) are likely to host or attend an adult Easter brunch, party, or gathering
• More than half of adults (53%) would shell out extra for a premium Easter basket, spending an average of $23 on a chocolate bunny or specialty treat
• More than 1 in 4 adults (28%) buy Easter candy specifically for themselves, not just for kids

The Great Easter Candy Heist

• More than 1 in 3 (36%) have eaten their children's Easter candy without telling them — echoing the 64% who asserted their right to kids' leftover Halloween candy
• More than 1 in 4 (27%) have competed with their own kids to find Easter eggs first, and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) confess to cheating to win; 17% have even intentionally spoiled the Easter Bunny for a child
• 34% are likely to buy Easter candy in bulk and hide it for themselves, or build their own separate Easter basket
• While more than half (56%) admit they can't wait to start digging into Easter candy before the holiday even arrives, nearly two-thirds (64%) plan to buy Easter candy on sale the day after Easter

Easter Candy Consumption Confessions

• Dark chocolate treats (46%), peanut butter candy (48%), and chocolate eggs (44%) top adults' Easter basket wish lists — and 52% admit Easter candy tastes better than Halloween candy
• Nearly half (49%) say the Easter Bunny is just as important as Santa Claus, and 27% stopped believing in the Easter bunny at age 11 or older
• The celebration doesn't stop on Sunday: 64% plan to buy candy on sale the day after Easter, 59% say their haul lasts the full week, and 41% admit to taking Easter Monday off work
• While 57% follow the near-universal rule of ears first, a defiant 6% start at the feet — proof that even chocolate bunny consumption is not without its rebels

"Last year we confirmed that 'Adultoween' had evolved from an emerging trend into a full cultural movement and now we're seeing that same energy carries through to Easter," said Chad Stubbs, Chief Marketing Officer, Ferrero North America. "Adults aren't just participating in holiday traditions anymore. They're competing in the egg hunt, building their own baskets, and laying claim to the candy. What's clear across every holiday we've studied is that adults have fully reclaimed their right to celebrate, indulge, and yes, occasionally raid the kids' stash. At Ferrero, we think that's something worth celebrating."

Ferrero's Easter collection is available nationwide now, including Butterfinger® Easter Minis, CRUNCH® Bunny, Fannie May® Pixie Egg, Ferrero Rocher® Easter Hollow Bunny and Egg, Mother's® Springtime Buddies™ Cookies, Keebler® Mini Graham Ready Crusts, Kinder Bueno® Minis, Kinder Chocolate® Easter Lay Down Bag, Kinder® Little Chicks, Kinder Joy® Eggs, Nutella® Mini Jars, Tic Tac® Fruit Adventure, 100 Grand® Easter Minis, Royal Dansk® Garden Cookie Collection 10.6 oz tin, and more.

Survey Methodology:
Findings are from a study conducted on behalf of Ferrero, by Golin in partnership with Dynata (independent research firm formerly Research Now/SSI), among 1,000 respondents based in the United States and Canada from January 13-27, 2026. The margin of error (at the 95% confidence level) is +/- 3%. *Indicates separate data point from past survey, The Ferrero Halloween Report.

About Ferrero
Ferrero began in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world's largest sweet-packaged food companies, with over 35 iconic brands sold in more than 170 countries. The Ferrero Group brings joy to people around the world with much-loved treats and snacks including Nutella®, Kinder®, Tic Tac®, and Ferrero Rocher®. More than 47,000 employees are passionate about helping people celebrate life's special moments. The Ferrero Group's family culture, now in its third generation, is based on dedication to quality and excellence, heritage and commitment to the planet and communities in which we operate.

Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and has grown to more than 5,400 employees in 15 plants and warehouses, and eight offices in North America across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. It has expanded its presence and portfolio with the addition of iconic brands such as Butterfinger®, CRUNCH®, Keebler®, Famous Amos®, Mother's Cookies®, and other distinctive cookie and chocolate brands. Follow @FerreroNACorp on X and Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com.

CONTACT: Christina Panta, [email protected]

SOURCE Ferrero North America